บท 9: She Likes Arts

Tanaga and Ashley ate their lunch in silence. They didn't make eye contact, yet they could sense every move the other made. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Tanaga ate quickly, consuming more food than he usually did without noticing. Ashley, however, had little appetite and picked at her food.

Tanaga couldn't bear to see that she wasn't eating. He shook his head. "Are you so frightened of me that you've lost your appetite? You've barely eaten. You have to be famished!" There was a heaviness in his voice as he spoke, looking intently at Ashley.

She had been in a daze, unaware that he had finished his meal and had been watching her for quite some time. His angry voice breaking the long silence had surprised her, but in her dazed state, she hadn't actually comprehended his words.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" She managed to ask nervously, now on the verge of tears.

"I said, …never mind…If you're done eating, we should talk about your stay in this house, and what I expect of you before we conceive." Tanaga stood, and being a gentleman, pulled Ashley's chair out for her and offered his hand to help her stand.

The ever-present butler smiled to himself as he stood in the background, observing their interactions. He ordered one of the maids to prepare coffee to be served in their master's office.

Ashley silently followed Tanaga to continue discussing the contents of the contract and what exactly what was expected of her. As they walked down the long hallway, she couldn't help but silently appreciate the luxurious furnishings and beautiful art displayed.

Just one of those paintings is worth enough to take care of my whole family for a lifetime…she thought to herself as they passed. Tanaga glanced back at Ashley and saw her appreciatively gazing at the painting.

Seizing an opportunity to try and connect, he led Ashley down the hallway that led to his favorite collection. Ashley was focused on the beautiful pieces, oblivious to the fact that Tanaga was watching her. He smiled, watching her as she reacted to the beauty of the artwork.

Before she knew it, they had toured the entire place. She was fascinated by everything she saw.

"If you're fond of art, there is a place you should visit sometime," Tanaga said, his voice full of sincerity, but his face still serious and challenging to read.

She looked over at him, wondering why he treated her this way. Sometimes he was warm and other times cold as ice.

When he spoke, sometimes his tone would make you think he despised everything in the world. Sometimes when he looked at her, his eyes were full of warmth and love. At other times, his fierce stares made her feel like he was imagining ravishing her. At the thought of it, her heartbeat quickened, as did her breathing, and she felt as if she might almost faint. She pressed her palm to her chest to try and slow her breathing.

Tanaga was looking at her, his brows knitted together with concern. Seeing her with her hand on her chest made him suddenly worried about her health. He was unsure what he should say, but his mind was now racing with things that could be wrong. He blurted out, "Is there a problem with your heart or something I should know about?"

What?! Ashley thought to herself. Heart problem? No, I can hardly breathe because I can feel you looking at me that way…I can feel what you're thinking.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just excited. Your collection is just so beautiful. I've never seen anything like it." Ashley explained. "I don't have any heart problems." She reassured him.

Embarrassed and feeling guilty for the misunderstanding her wandering thoughts had caused, she couldn't look Tanaga straight in the eyes. She didn't want to admit that the way he looked at her excited her.

Tanaga smiled, satisfied with her explanation, and happy to be reassured that she was healthy. He continued walking toward his office, shaking his head and laughing inwardly. He felt as though his impromptu detour had been worthwhile. He watched her so intently as she viewed each piece of artwork; he felt he even knew which artist's work she admired the most.

Lost in her own thoughts again, Ashley didn't notice when Tanaga stopped, and she bumped right into his back.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose." She tried to take a step back and tripped on her own feet. Again, Tanaga caught her around the waist before she fell. She turned her head to look at him, not realizing his face was so close to hers. When she turned, her lips met his by pure accident. It was the last thing she expected.